Knowing is deceiving
by thechamberofmahogany
Summary: Hope Mellark, Megan Mason, Finn Odair and Austin Hawthorne are on a mission. What are 'the games? Why can't their parents tell them? Meanwhile, Hope is being haunted by the dead careers- but why? Third person from chapter 3 onwards.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: I couldn't get this story out of my head, so I'm going to write it now.  
It starts in Katniss' POV, then goes into Hope's.  
Hope and Hunter are Katniss and Peeta's son and daughter.  
I really wanted to write about the rebels & victors children.  
Oh yeah- I have explaining to do.  
Basically, Madge's friend was round and got killed, so they thought it was her, but she survived and escaped, fleeing to District 2 where she ran into Gale.  
With Finnick, instead of taking the death bite, he got flung to the side of the sewer and the mutts carried on.  
After that, he managed to make his way back to Tigris, who fixed him up.  
By then, the rebellion had been won and he went back to district 13, where he found Annie.  
They had their first child, Triton, and a few months before Hope was born they had Finn.  
Cameron is my own character.  
Anyway, enjoy :)**

* * *

I shivered underneath the blanket as me and Peeta curled up together, watching the TV.

"And the mockingjay, Katniss Mellark is 9 months pregnant! When do you think she'll pop?! Will it be a boy or a girl? What will they name it?!" Caesar Flickerman asks the viewers.  
I tune out, lost in a world of babies.  
Will my baby be a girl or a boy? What will I name it?  
Questions run through my head, and I find myself not being able to answer a single one.  
Suddenly, my breathing hitches and water drips down my leg.  
"Peeta. Am I wetting myself?!" I ask him, shaking.  
He turns to me, and then the contractions starts.  
Peeta gets up and runs to the phone, he talks for a few minutes and then walks back to me.  
"Breathe... Breathe, okay?" He tells me, rubbing his hand up and down my back.

* * *

**-Time Skip 16 years-  
Hope's POV.**  
"Hunter! Give me back my book!" I shouted down the hallway, running down the stairs.  
"HUUUNNNNTTTTTEEEERRRR!" I screeched.  
I swerved round Mum and carried on sprinting, hot on Hunter's heels.  
He jumped though the doorway and into the garden.  
I huffed and sat on the grass next to Dad.  
"Hi, Dad."  
"Hey, Hope. What's up?" He asked, trying to be cool.  
At least he was cool.  
"Hunter's got my book. Again." I face palmed as Hunter ran face first into a tree.  
"I'M ALRIGHT!" He shouted, before running around again.  
"Nothing new then. What are you reading now?" Dad asked me, and I could see in his eyes that he was interested.  
"The fault in our stars." I told him and he nodded.  
Mum walked out and sat down next to me, calling Hunter who bounded over.  
"Honestly, Hunt. You're 13! You act like a 5 year old." I pointed out.  
Glaring, he took a seat next to Mum.  
We were all sat in a circle, which only happened if Mum or Dad wanted to tell us something.  
"So, kids. Since it's the summer holidays-"  
Me and Hunter cut her off by whooping.  
Mum laughed, then carried on.  
"We've been invited over to the Odair's for 6 weeks! We leave tomorrow, so go pack!"  
"Wait- what?! Me and Ashley were going to check out the theme park! We can't go!" I whined.  
She gave me a stern look and I sighed, I'd already lost.  
"Fine. Who else is going?" I asked.  
"Madge and Gale and their children, Danny and Austin, Johanna and Cameron and their daughter Megan, Haymitch and Effie, and obviously Finnick and Annie and their children, Finn and Triton."  
I made a mental list in my head of how old everybody was.  
Megan was my age, 16, and so was Finn and Austin.  
Danny was Hunter's age, 13, so we wouldnt have them hanging around us.  
Triton was 25, so I imagined he'd be with the adults, or his friends.  
"Okay. Mum? Next time can you give me more notice?!" I told her, and legged it upstairs to my room.

* * *

Folding up all my shorts, I put them in the suitcase.  
Then, I put in my t-shirts, jeans, sweaters, crop tops and my bikini.  
Finally, I added underwear.  
"HOPE! ARE YOU NEARLY DONE?!" Mum shouted up the stairs, and I inwardly screamed.  
Packing was so hard- I found it fun though.  
"Nope!" I shouted back, popping the 'P'.  
Quickly, I stuffed in all my shoes and accessories, my wash bag, blankets and different phone cases.  
District 3 recently made a hundred new gadgets.  
Checking my watch, I saw it was 8PM.  
Mum wanted us to load the car tonight, so we could just hop in the next day... At 4AM.  
As you do every day.  
Slowly I made my way down the stairs, and put my suitcase in the car, then headed back inside.  
"NIGHT EVERYONE I'M GOING TO BED!"  
I hopped into bed, and fell asleep.

* * *

_"Hey, Hope. Hope! HOPE!" _

_A boy swirls around me, and holds a sword.  
He grins, and a girl comes up with him, a belt of knives around her stomach.  
The boy's hair is blonde, and sticks up.  
His eyes are a piercing, evil blue and his sword is dripping with blood.  
The girl has jet black hair, in a high ponytail on top of her head, and her eyes are brown.  
Suddenly, the scene changes and a rock flies through the air.  
It hits the girls head, and makes a big dent, and I see an arrow has pierced her left arm.  
Scratches and blood start to appear on the boy, and they're both screaming in pain.  
I try to move, try to help them, but I can't move.  
I'm frozen, stuck still, hopelessly watching them.  
"CLOVE! CATO!" A girl with blonde fishtail braids shrieks.  
Lumps sprout from all over her body and she drops to the ground, as do Clove and Cato.  
Finally, a boy runs in to see them.  
"YOU KILLED HER! YOU KILLED THEM! YOU KILLED GLIMMER! YOU KILLED CATO AND CLOVE! HOW COULD YOU?!" He shouts, before an arrow hits his neck and he falls, dead.  
4 cannons sound, and I know I'm next to die._

* * *

"Hope. Honey, wake up. We have to leave soon, get dressed." Mum shook me awake, and I wiped my forehead.

Slowly, I made my way to the bathroom, and pressed a cold flannel to my face.  
Clove, Cato and Glimmer swirled around my brain, and I tried not to scream.  
Who were they? They seemed so real... Maybe I could ask Mum.  
I put on a fluffy unicorn onesie and walked downstairs, my phone, iPod touch and headphones in hand.  
"Mum, can I talk to you for a moment?" I asked her, and she nodded.  
We went into her and Dad's bedroom, and I took a deep breath.  
"Mum, I had a really weird dream, and I just want to talk to someone about it, so that it doesn't confuse me even more."  
She nodded and I carried on.  
"Well, first a boy with blonde hair and evil, piercing blue eyes came in holding a sword that dripped with blood, and he was calling my name. Then, a girl with black hair in a ponytail and a belt of knives came over to. Suddenly, a rock flew through the air and hit her, and the boy started getting scratches and wounds all over his body, then they dropped to the floor. Next, a girl came in with blonde fishtail braids and a bow and arrow, and she was screaming their names, but then she started getting lumps all over her body and she fell onto the floor too! Finally, a boy with brown hair came in holding a spear and he shouted at me, screaming that I killed them, then an arrow pierced his neck and he hit the floor." I finished, shuddering a bit.  
Mum went pale, "Wh-what were their names?"  
"Glimmer, Cato and Clove. It didn't say the boys name." I replied.  
Mums face went green, like she was about to be sick, and she ran down the stairs.  
"PEETA! PEETA!"  
I followed her quietly, listening in on her and Dad's conversation.  
Mum repeated everything I said, and I heard him gasp.  
"Katniss... I think it's time to tell them..."  
"About the games?'  
"Y-yes. We have the book."  
"Okay."  
I wondered what they were going to tell us, but my thoughts stopped when I heard kissing noises.  
Wrinkling my nose, I walked into the kitchen, "Ew."  
I made myself a drink and filled a bag with food and snacks.  
It took 5 hours to get to District 4, and I'd be prepared.  
Looking at the clock, I saw it was 3:45.  
'_Nearly time to go.' _I thought.  
Mum called me and Hunter to the living room, and I braced myself.  
'_I guess it's time to find out what 'The games' are.'_


	2. Chapter 2

_You will never know your limits until you push yourself to them.- Unknown._

* * *

**Katniss POV. **  
Hope and Hunter walked through the door and looked at us, wondering what we had to say.  
Pure innocence was all I saw, and I wasn't ready to tell them, to inflict the horror of the games on them.  
They stopped teaching about them in schools the year Hope started.  
The children got nightmares.  
I looked at Peeta and shook my head.  
He nodded.  
"Get your stuff together, we're going now." He told them, and ruffled Hunter's hair as they walked out.  
"I-I can't do it yet. I only saw innocence on their faces, and I don't want to take that from them... I just can't do it." I garbled, and most people wouldn't understand that.  
But he did.  
And it was times like that when I realised how fortunate I was.  
But in a way, I wasn't.  
Peeta lightly kissed my forehead, and we walked to the car.  
Hope had her head stuck in the boot, checking her bag was still in there.  
"Hope, for goodness sake I didn't take it out!" Hunter yelled, but his snickering face told me otherwise.  
Hope walked to the garage, pulled up the door and took her bag out of it.  
"Nice try, Hunt." She muttered, smirking at him.  
I stared at them fondly.  
"Everyone ready?" Peeta asked, and I climbed into the car.  
Slowly, the car started and we drove off.  
"STOP!" Hope suddenly shouted when we were halfway down the road.  
"I didn't shut the garage!" She yelled, and jumped out, running back towards the house.

* * *

**Hope's POV. **  
Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, oh woah!  
'Shake it out' by Florence and the machine played in my ear, as I thought about the summer ahead of me.  
If anything, Hunter and Danny would probably be little kids, putting worms in our beds, but I knew me, Finn, Megan and Austin would be different.  
Now I'd heard about the games, I wanted to know what they were.  
Maybe the others have information? I thought.  
The information I had was that; my parents took part in it, some people named Glimmer, Cato and Clove were in it, and that was it.  
Everything confused me and I groaned inwardly.

* * *

When we arrived, Annie informed me and Hunter that the kids would be staying in her old house.  
Next door to the adults one.  
When we got inside, Danny and Hunter immediately ran off to plan pranks, and I sat down on the couch.  
"Hi!" I said as everyone else sat down.  
"Hey," Megan replied, passing me a bottle of coke.  
"Well, I don't care if any of you have planned anything for this Summer, we have to scratch that. I'll tell you everything." I said and Finn huffed.  
I told them about the dream, about Mum and Dad not saying about the games like they planned, and then I told them that I wanted to find out what the games were.  
"Honestly, it sounds bad. Do you think it was just your parents? Or do you think it was ours too?" Megan chewed her nail nervously, and I cocked my head.  
"We-ell... Lets think about everything. Austin- you're parents and mine are from District 12, Finn, yours are from District 4, and yours District 7.  
"They're completely different districts- at least 3 districts away from each other! I think, most of our parents had something to do with the games, but obviously they stopped." I thout aloud, and we all 'hmmm'ed for a few minutes, before Megan had an idea.  
"Ah hah! Right, this sounds really babyish, but we should spy on our parents.  
One at a time, and very secret. Finn, this is where you come in.  
The Adults house is 'House A' and this house is 'House B'.  
You know House A like the back of your hand, so you need to tell us the best hiding places."  
"Hang on a second- how do we get into the house?" Austin asked, his head in his hand.  
At the same time, we all looked at Finn.  
"I can ask mum about the sleeping arrangements, but I definitely know that nobody is sleeping in my room or will be in my room.  
My bedroom window is opposite Danny and Hunters window, so if we can climb through, we don't have to use the front door!" Finn exclaimed.  
In the pit of my stomach, I felt excitement and danger rolling into one.  
This summer would be interesting.

* * *

**AN: I'm so sorry I haven't updated in ages!  
I know this chapter is really short, but I've been overloaded with homework, exam stress and everything else in my hectic life.  
I've also tried to plan this so it's not a flop like all my other stories!  
You may have noticed if you read my other stories that I've deleted all of them except my one-shots, this one and Prim's POV of the hunger games.  
Replies to reviews;  
Pjofanforever: Thank you! I'm glad you like it! Sorry this update is short & that it took ages, but I hope you liked it.  
Samiesimpson1: Thank you so much (:  
I'll try to update every week and I'm sorry this was late. I hope it was good :)  
Lileverlark: Thank you and thanks for reviewing! It feels really good to know you and others like my story. I hope you like this chapter!  
And thanks to everyone that followed this story, favourited this story, favourited me, followed me and reviewed.  
Thanks again.  
~ LoveForEverlark**


	3. Chapter 3

_It's never too late to be who you might have been- George Eliot_

* * *

**Third Person**

"Mom? I left my book of fun stuff upstairs!" Finn told Annie, tapping his feet on the shiny, laminate floor.  
"Okay, go get it and whatever else you might need and leave us in peace." She replied, sipping her tea.  
As if he were in the Olympics, Finn ran up the stairs and into his room.  
He grabbed a book and chucked it on the floor.  
With all his might, he pushed the bed towards the window.  
The teens plan had been put into action.

* * *

Hope hastily pulled open a drawer, a rummaged around it.  
Nothing.  
She pulled open another, and rummaged around it.  
Again- nothing.  
Sighing, she laid flat on her stomach and peered under the bed.  
"AHA!" She shouted aloud, and reached her arm out.  
Hope's fingers closed around a long piece of rope, and she quickly pulled it out, revealing a long rope ladder.  
Smiling, she walked over to the window and waited for Finn to give her the signal.

* * *

Megan squeezed a tube of pink icing onto a burnt cake, trying to spell out the words, 'Finn is the best'.  
Honestly, she didn't think that, but it was necessary for stage 3 of their plan.  
Groaning, she left it at 'Finn is' and walked over to the freezer.  
A big, round bottle of diet coke was inside the drawer at the bottom, Megan pulled it out and slipped it inside the backpack.  
In the cupboard above her, a slim tube of mento's was tucked in the corner.  
She put that inside as well, and gave it to Austin.  
"THE SKY IS FALLING DOWN!" Hope shrieked, and they made their way outside, knowing that Finn had secured the rope ladder to his bed.

* * *

Austin climbed up the ladder, careful to not to put a foot in the wrong place.  
He was terrified, and his fear of heights seemed to be all he could think about.  
Then, Austin remembered.  
If he didn't climb, they wouldn't be able to carry out the plan.  
So he climbed faster, up and up towards Megan, Hope and Finn.  
As he climbed through the window, footsteps creaked up the stairs.  
"Finn?" Finnick called, and Finn pushed them under his bed.  
Quickly, he walked out of his room, shutting the door.  
"Yeah?" He replied, his heart thumping.  
Don't go in, don't go in.  
"Have you got everything?"  
"Yeah. I want to be a baker when I'm older!" Finn exclaimed, so that stage 3 would be more realistic.  
Stage 1 was to get inside the house without the adults noticing.  
Stage 2 was to get Gale, Madge, Katniss and Peeta in the kitchen. (Hope and Austin were taking care of that.)  
Stage 3 was to get Finnick, Annie, Johanna and Callum into the kids house. (Finn was doing that job.)  
Stage 4 was Megan's job. She had to find anything that could give them a clue, as quickly as possible.  
Before the adults returned.

* * *

Once Finn had led Finnick downstairs, Austin and Hope crept into the kitchen.  
"Ready?" Austin mouthed, and Hope nodded.  
He unscrewed the coke lid, and placed it on the table.  
Then, he shook the packet if mento's in his hand.  
3,2,1.  
As they dropped in, Hope screamed, letting it drip all over her.  
"AUUUSTIIIINNNN!" She screeched, and he doubled over, laughing.  
Gale, Madge, Peeta and Katniss ran in, staring at their children.  
"I DIDN'T REALLY MEAN I WANTED TO BE A PENGUIN!" Hope shouted.

* * *

Hearing the code words, Finn looked at Johanna, Callum, Annie and Finnick.  
"As I want to be a baker when I'm older, I baked a cake! Would you try it?" He asked, and the adults nodded.  
"It's in the other house, let's go there." Finn smiled, and Johanna snorted.  
"IT'S DELICIOUS!" He screamed.

* * *

The living room was empty.  
Megan snuck inside, and walked straight towards the couch.  
She looked under cushions, stacks of paper, coasters but she couldn't find anything.  
Megan tapped the wall, looking for a secret passage like in a movie she's seen, but still, she didn't find it.  
"Right, well, you kids are crazy." Gale mumbled from the kitchen, and she heard Hope shout.  
"NO! DON'T GO! WE WANNA A SING A SONG!"  
Stifling a laugh, she walked over towards the bookshelf.  
Creak, creak.  
Clapping a hand over her mouth to stop herself from screaming, Megan looked at the floorboard.  
It was loose, and the two ends wobbled, while the middle stayed firm.  
Grinning, Megan pulled up the floorboard and peered inside.  
"Achoo!" She sneezed, and quickly grabbed the box.  
"What was that?" Madge asked, starting to walk towards the living room.  
Megan pushed the floorboard back in its place, and ran to the hallway.  
Suddenly, 4 figures appeared at the doorway.  
She was trapped.

* * *

"Goodbye Finn," Annie called out, "Oh, and try to convince Peeta to give you lessons if you're that determined to be a baker."  
Finn laughed, and when they were gone, he dropped the cake in the bin.  
"SUGAR!" He yelled, then laughed because of his 'cake' joke.  
Quickly, he ran outside.  
Megan wasn't back in the house yet, and if she'd found something, then she'd be trapped.  
"MOOOM, DAAAAD, JOHANNAAA, CALLUUUMMM!" He screeched, and they all turned around.  
"I've decided I'm going to be a comedian, okay?" When the adults nodded, he motioned back to the other house.  
"Just five minutes, please!" He grinned sheepishly, trying to think of jokes.

* * *

Megan stuck her head out the door.  
The adults were walking back inside.  
This was her chance!  
She sprinted out and around the house, towards the back door.  
Wedging it open, she sighed happily.  
They did it. Maybe, they would finally find out about the games?

* * *

"I don't know any more words!" Hope hissed at Austin.  
"Neither do I. Okay, we'll be off now..." He called to the adults, and they started to skip away.  
"Stop! Go clean up." Madge and Katniss ordered, and, grumbling and moaning they walked into the kitchen.  
"Remind me to slap Finn when we get home." Austin groaned, mopping up the coke.  
Meanwhile, Hope (who was picking up the sticky mento's) was thinking about Megan.  
"D'you think she got it?" Hope wondered.  
"Got what?" He murmured.  
"Anything, any clues." She whispered.  
"Maybe- at this point anything is good right?"

* * *

"Finn, we really have to go," Annie sighed, ruffling his head.  
"Okay, see you soon, Mom!" He grinned, seeing Megan run to the back of the house.  
Finn watched the retreating figures walk into the house, and then returned to the kids place.  
He slipped into the pantry, where Megan was laying a box on the counter.  
"You got something... Well, Hope and Austin should be here in a minute."  
"I-I know we're one step closer to finding out whats going on but... I don't know, it just doesn't seem right." Megan sighed, and walked out into the kitchen.  
"Maybe, maybe it's because we're doing this behind their backs- but, if we find out it'll help us understand them more, wont it?" Finn pulled at his collar, thinking deeply about what they were doing.  
"How will we confront them? Tell them we know?" Megan asked again, her voice faltering.  
"I don't know, Meg, I guess we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

* * *

Walking across the sidewalk, Hope flopped down next to the house.  
"It's sunny- let's go back in a few minutes. Besides, what if aunt Johanna, uncle Callum, aunt Annie and uncle Finnick are still there?" She pressed, her fingers running across the grass.  
Austin agreed, sitting down next to her.  
'I can still do this... I can still do this...' A voice hissed, and Hope whipped her head around.  
"D-did you hear that?" She whispered, her heart thumping wildly inside her chest.  
"Hear what?" Austin replied, but Hope didn't hear him.  
Her eyes were fixated on a figure that was walking towards them.  
Except the figure wasn't walking, it was levitating.  
It was the boy with blonde hair and his eyes were full of hatred.

* * *

**AN: Hi :)  
Sorry I couldn't get this up sooner; I've been working on my other story which is Prim's POV of the 74th hunger games, and editing it.  
Also, while trying to save I lost all my writing except for the last two paragraphs.  
I cried, and really wanted to kill something lol :)  
I hope you enjoy it.  
Oh, and now I reply to reviews by PM, but if you're a guest, then it will be below.  
The idea for having Cato & the Careers come... Haunt her I guess, was from Ninazadzia so go check her out.  
She writes Clato :D lol.  
But seriously, her stories are brilliant.  
Guest review replies:  
Shelby Mattos  
Thank you so much :)  
I'm really glad you like it, and I hope this chapter was good.  
Also, thank you for saying its creative, it's means a lot :)**

Thank you if you took the time to review, or even read it.  
Also, thanks if you; favourite/follow this story, favourite/follow me, read this story of review.  
See you next week :)  
LoveForEverlark


	4. Chapter 4

Sighing, Megan stared impatiently at the box in her hands.  
"Should we just...?" She trailed off, noticing the look on Finn's face.  
"No, we can't. They play their part, it's only fair we play ours."  
Megan pushed the box away from herself, and crept out of the room, leaving Finn alone with his thoughts.  
They _were_ taking forever and a day... Maybe he could just peek?  
"No." He muttered firmly to himself, but soon curiosity got the better of him, and grinning he called out, "MEGAN!"

* * *

"What's up Hope? You look like you've seen a ghost." Austin chuckled at the gormless look on her face, not knowing that she _had_ seen a ghost.  
That a ghost was floating towards them that very second.  
"Should have been us... It should have been us... We were the real star crossed lovers, not them... Filthy, poor scum."  
A hiss began to fill her ears, unlike any other sound she'd known, it was cold, harsh and sly, incapable of hurting or caring.  
Slowly, Hope rose to her feet, visibly shaking.  
"Ahh, are you like your mother or father? She was brave... Apparently. Completely unlikely. At least she tried to put up a fight. Your father? He ran, and when he did put up a fight, he lost. You wonder why he has a prosthetic leg? Me, it's me." The hiss engulfed her ears again, clouding her thoughts.  
"Hope? C'mon, let's go." Austin whispered, breaking into a sprint towards the house.  
Hope stared at the ghost, watching the limp way he walked.  
"Who are you? Why are you here? Why me?" She questioned in a hushed tone.  
"You're Hope Mellark, Hope Everdeen. The product of the two people I despised most in this world.  
I am Cato Hadley. I'm here to torture you, the same way your parents did to me. They tortured me by killing my Clove, pushing me off the Cornucopia, ruining my chance of winning."  
Then, with an evil cackle, Cato Hadley disappeared.  
Hope didn't understand, though she tried.  
She didn't want it to sink in... She didn't want to be haunted.  
It was just her luck she was.

* * *

"Austin? Where is Hope?!" Megan cried, blocking his view of the room.  
"Behi- she was behind me. Probably still over there." He grumbled.  
Nodding, Megan twisted her head around, seeing if Finn had put the lid back on the box.  
He had, so Megan moved away from the door, towards the counter where she sat happily.  
"HOPE, MOVE YOUR FAT BUTT AND GET IN HERE!" She yelled, and smiling half-heartedly, Hope joined them.  
"I say we find out what's in the box in the loft. No one goes up there, but there's a TV and bean bags. We won't be discovered." Finn suggested, and they agreed, tiptoeing to the loft, careful not to give away there whereabouts.

* * *

Stirring the bubbling, gross mixture, Danny went over the plan in his head.  
"This makes no sense. Why are we doing this?" He asked Hunter, who was shaking small flakes of something into the bucket.  
"We're the youngest, so they'll treat us like slaves. We have to treat _them_ like slaves. And anyway, they're up to something- you saw them go into the adults house. We have to find out what it is!" Hunter exclaimed, taking a small sniff in the bowl.  
"Eurgh, that is horrible." He muttered.  
"Right... So, we... Place this on the door and when they open it, it falls on them?" Danny clarified, and Hunter nodded.  
Grabbing the bowl, they crept downstairs.  
"The door... We need a ladder." Hunter mumbled.  
"There's probably one in the loft." Danny grinned, and they high-fived before tiptoeing upstairs.  
Peering around, Hunter pushed open the door, and saw all the older kids crowding round a box.  
"HUNTER!"  
"HOPE!"  
They had been spotted.

* * *

**AN: I am SO sorry for the lack of updates. It's been a month, I know :(  
I tried to make this chapter long for you guys, but its quite short :(  
I've also been sick recently, but hopefully I can get back into the habit of updating every week.  
You might of noticed I changed my name- do you like it?  
Please vote on my poll on my profile, I really need help.  
It's voting on what my next fanfic should be.  
Review if you liked it or have constructive criticism.  
Thanks if you: reviewed this fanfic, followed/favourited it or followed/favourited me.  
Have a great week.  
- Thechamberofmahogany**


	5. Chapter 5

Shoving the lid on the box, Finn's heart began to thump.  
"What are you doing?!" Danny called from the landing, suddenly poking his head up through the trap door.  
"Playing spin the bottle!" Megan cried quickly.  
"There's no bottle," Hunter pointed out, suspiciously raising an eyebrow.  
"It's... Invisible." Austin replied.  
"You can't play spin the bottle with an invisible bottle." Danny sighed, "and we're the dumb ones."  
"We were joking, geez. We're playing truth or dare." Hope said, her voice raising a tad.  
"You don't have a bottle though." Hunter argued.  
"You don't need one for truth or dare!" Hope shouted, glaring at Hunter.  
"Woah- calm down, don't get your panties in a twist." He retorted, grabbing the ladder and climbing back down onto the landing.  
"There up to something," he muttered to Danny," and our next priority is to find out what that is."

* * *

"Well done smart arse! So much for not being discovered." Megan exploded, slapping Finn on the shoulder angrily.  
"How was I supposed to know they'd come up?! I didn't realise they knew there was a loft!" He shouted back.  
"Well realise next time!" Megan screeched, stabbing the power button on the TV with her finger.  
The TV crackled and turned on, illuminating the room with an eerie glow.  
"Welcome to Capitol TV! I'm Caesar Flickerman, your host. Today we will be recapping the lives of some of our most interesting victors. Our line up includes; the Mockingjay Katniss Everdeen/Mellark! The sex god Finnick Odair! Johanna Mason, the feisty axe thrower, Peeta Mellark, the boy who was head over heels and many-"  
Suddenly, the TV flickered off, causing the gang to cry out in annoyance.  
"What are victors?! It probably has something to do with the games..." Austin muttered.  
"My dad was a SEX GOD?!" Exclaimed Finn.  
"Look, let's just look through the box again." Hope sighed.

* * *

Carefully, Danny balanced the bucket on top of door, and climbed down the ladder.  
"What was that box?" He muttered to Hunter, who stared at the bucket.  
"I don't know... We'll have to go out the window, we're trapped unless we wanna get coated in... Goo." Hunter groaned, unlatching the window and clambering outside.  
Voices could be heard from above, in the loft.  
The window on the roof was open, and Hope was sitting on the window ledge.  
"NO FINN! YOU CAN'T JUST DISMISS THIS! IT'S STUPID!" Megan screeched.  
"MEG CALM DOWN, YOU'RE LIKE A GRENADE HOLY CRAP!" Finn screamed back.  
"Dismiss what?" Danny muttered, climbing back inside to get the ladder.  
Carefully, he slid back outside, and propped the ladder up against the wall.  
"Time to spy..." He whispered, shooting up the ladder like a rocket.

* * *

"Hope scrambled over to the box, carefully pulling off the lid.  
Every time they tried to look through, it caused fights and the lid was jammed back on.  
"EVERYONE! No talking while I go through it and show you what's in the box."  
Then, Hope walked over to the window, shut it and pulled down the blinds.  
Carefully, she rummaged through the box, pulling out a blouse and skirt.  
"A blouse... And a skirt."  
Megan opened her mouth to say something, but the glare Hope shot her was enough to shut anyone up.  
"A pin..."  
A shining, golden pin with a small mockingjay inside a circle, lay on her palm.  
Hope placed it on top of the outfit, and delved her hands inside the box once again.  
A small, silver funnel was the next object.  
"A spile...?" She muttered, baffled.  
The box contained unusual things, that just added to their questions, rather than answer them.  
"A... A book. A BOOK!" The teens jumped up, excitement taking over them.  
Was this it? The answer?  
Hope flipped it open, staring at the first page.  
Colours intwined to light up the page, bringing it to life.  
Oranges, reds, yellows and pinks all blended together as the flames of fire, and in it sat Peeta and Katniss.  
Behind them, sat Finnick, Annie and Johanna and behind her, endless rows of graves.  
Hope brushed her fingers along the page, the graves standing out like mud on a white car.  
"That's really creepy- just turn the page." Megan whispered.  
The next page was a picture of Katniss, in a white dress.  
She was twirling, and the top half of the dress was made up of black feathers.  
Hope turned the page again, to see a picture of Katniss and Peeta standing on a stage in front of a Justice Building, District 11.  
This went on in every District and the Capitol.  
"Let's look at something else..." Austin murmured.  
Finn stayed silent, taking it all in, not believing anything.  
The last object was a small DVD.  
It was titled, 'Rebellion'.  
"Try and get the TV to work!" Hope cried, frantically.  
Finn nodded and kicked it, then pressed the remote control.  
"DON'T BREAK IT!" Megan shouted.  
"Oh for the love hunting!" Austin mouthed to Hope, who stifled a giggle.  
"You fix it then!" Finn retorted, sticking his middle finger up at Megan.  
"I WILL."

* * *

"They shut the window!" Danny groaned, standing at the bottom of the ladder.  
"They're not that stupid. Well they are but... Agghh." Hunter sighed, strolling along to the side of the house.  
The front door creaked open by itself, but Hunter didn't notice it as he slid through the crack.  
Nor did he notice the girl with a black ponytail and a belt of knives gliding behind him.  
"How do we get into the loft without Hope and the others seeing?!" Hunter fretted, and the girl smiled evilly.  
She was in the loft.

It seemed all the children were oblivious today, because no one saw her open the loft door and stare at Hope.  
The TV flickered on, and Hope raced over to it, shoving in the disc.  
A small flame started in the centre, slowly growing, till it was full blown.  
"Aaah, you making a mistake there..." The ghost whispered, causing Hope to whip her head around.  
"I'm Clove- and I'm here to torture you too." She smiled sadistically, and a small shudder ran up the spine in Hope's rigid back.

* * *

**AN: This was meant to be up yesterday!  
Sorry if its not up to scratch- I've been reading lots more to try and improve it.  
Thank you for the reviews!  
I love you all so much it's crazy, 15 reviews?! Thank you, thank you, thank you!  
Sorry to beg, but please vote on my poll!  
I'm not sure if I've done it right, can someone PM me or tell me in a review if there is a poll on my profile?  
Thank you :)  
And one last thing, I was wondering if anyone wanted to write a story with me.  
You know, where I write one chapter, you write the next and so on.  
I love you guys :)  
Thechamberofmahogany**


	6. Chapter 6

"Clove- I have an idea." Cato mumbled into her ear.  
"What?" Her voice as soft as silk, she clicked her fingers, summoning Glimmer and Marvel who strutted in.  
The abandoned palace was carefully done up with intricate charms, so that nobody could ever find them.  
_Just a perk of being dead_, Clove smirked to herself.  
The room they were in was adorned with silk and velvet furniture, mahogany floors and perfectly patterned walls.  
They all wore clothes best suited to them, Clove, a pair of leather jeans and a red sweater, Glimmer, a skin tight, hot pink thigh dress, Cato, a muscle tank and jeans, and Marvel a pair of bright blue tights, red underpants (over the top) a blue top and yellow cape.  
"We've figured out how to get to the girl. She doesn't care about us, she only cares about the games. So we'll show the girl her parents killing. Just killing. Then, when she's traumatised it'll be so much easier to get to her." Cato cackled, and Glimmer joined in, placing a hand on Cato's arm.  
Disgusted, Clove narrowed her eyes, and a small shock caused Glimmer to fall on the floor.  
Cato stalked out the room his arm around Clove, leaving Glimmer, Marvel and the elephant in the room.

* * *

Hope shook her head and turned back to the TV.  
A mockingjay appeared amongst the flames basking in the glowing colours of the fire.  
Soon, a heavily accented voice boomed out, "Katniss Everdeen, the girl who was on fire, burns on!"  
Hope's hands shook a little...  
That was her mother.  
Suddenly, Katniss stood in front of real fire, smoke drifting from behind her.  
"What district is she in?" Finn mumbled, curiously.  
"Shut up!" Megan, who had been engrossed in the propo, hissed.  
"I want to tell the rebels that I am alive. That I'm right here in District Eight,"  
Megan shot a pointed look at Finn who rolled his eyes.  
"Where the Capitol has just bombed a hospital full of unarmed men, women and children. There will be no survivors."  
Hope gasped as they saw the hospital collapse, and part of her heart collapsed to.  
That was the thing with Hope- she was so compassionate, so sweet, so caring.  
Even though she didn't know these people, her heart was shattered.  
Just like her Father, she'd been told.  
"I want to tell people that if you think for one second the Capitol will treat us fairly, if there's a ceasefire, you're deluding yourself. Because you know who they are and what they do."  
Katniss' hands lifted up, motioning to the rubble and smoke around her.  
"This is what they do! And we must fight back!"  
Bombs fell, and a team of rebels ran, some being blown to the ground.  
Hope winced as a close up of Katniss' wound hit the screen.  
It was bloody and pus filled.  
They scaled the roof, dived into nests and then...  
"Dad!" Austin cried, but looked down as all the faces turned to glare at him.  
Gale and Katniss popped up, shooting arrows at the planes, they varied from normal arrows, arrows that exploded and ones that were on fire.  
Once again, the screen went back to Katniss.  
"President Snow says he's sending us a message? Well, I have one for him. You can torture us and bomb us and burn our districts to the ground, but do you see that?"  
The burning planes on a warehouse showed, closing up on the Capitol seal.  
Quickly, it flashed back to Katniss once more.  
"Fire is catching! And if we burn, you burn with us!"  
The propo came to an end, the screen filling up with flames.  
Finn reached to turn it off when Megan stopped him.  
"Wait."  
The words: IF WE BURN YOU BURN WITH US, covered the screen.  
"Well... That wasn't what I was expecting." Austin admitted, sheepishly.  
"I don't think any of us expected that you friggin idiot!" Megan snapped.  
Hope ran her fingers through her hair, pushing her face into her knee's.  
She narrowed her eyes, placing her hands on the floor.  
Her breaths were short, uneven, her vision shorting out.  
Slowly, Hope pulled herself up, supporting her weight by gripping the TV.  
"I'll be back in an hour, I'm just going out." She mumbled, slipping on her shoes and jumping down to the loft.

* * *

The sea lapped against her feet, and she smiled.  
What a beautiful day... She thought, closing her eyes, the sun beating down on her face.  
Soon, she fell asleep, the sand sticking to one side of her face.

* * *

"Is everything in order?" Clove whispered to Marvel, who nodded, shifting uncomfortably.  
"The job was sloppy- Glimmer's so called 'Talent' isn't really very good. Rather than hopping on the train, she walked to the beach." He replied regretfully.  
"Ugh, I knew it should have been me to do the job."  
Clove snapped her fingers, and a walkie talkie flew to her outstretched hand.  
"Cato. The job hasn't been done properly. She's at the beach. Where? District 4 of course!" She rolled her eyes, pacing out of the room, heels clacking.  
Marvel sighed, sitting on a cushioned chair.  
He clapped once, before placing a hand on the elaborate table.  
Glimmer appeared, groaning as she sat on the table.  
"Yes?" She flipped her golden hair onto her back, before crossing one leg over the other classily.  
"You done the job wrong you idiot! Cato is going to be so furious, do you realise? This could jeopardise the whole mission! She was meant to be in the Capitol!  
Cashmere, Gloss and Brutus are waiting for her to arrive. They have now been notified, but it's a case of getting her there before the hours up and the other brats look for her!" Marvel growled, ranting at Glimmer's poor job.  
"GLI-MMER!" Cato shrieked, and Glimmer pulled up her skirt, lowered her top and stalked out of the room.  
Marvel shook his head, sighing.

* * *

The girl levitated, higher and higher, speeding towards the train station.  
She flew past, though, rushing towards the Capitol.  
300MPH, and she still wasn't fast enough, so the miles went up, 600MPH, 900MPH.  
Within minutes, she had arrived.  
"She's here. We're ready to go." A deep voice boomed.

* * *

**AN: I know this chapter was short :/  
I actually have a massive twist for the next chapter, and I don't think you'll expect it.  
ASDFGHJKL LET'S FANGIRL FOR A MINUTE THE CATCHING FIRE TRAILER!  
What's your favourite part?  
I think mine was the bit with Katniss and Prim or Gale and Katniss.  
I was thinking, would you like me to do a story with something to do with CF each day, counting down until the film comes out?  
I don't know.  
Review, favourite and follow,  
Thanks if you have :)  
Thechamberofmahogany**


	7. Chapter 7

"Are the locations hidden?" The deep voice inquired, booming across the soundproof room.  
"By the most intricate charms, sir."  
"Good. Ahh, she's here. Those kids thought they could do better then us? They're deluded. Katniss Everdeen's tactics cost me my life. She thought her daughter was safe? Never." The deep voice seemed to drip with venom, and a chill could be felt in the room.  
Hope laid on the hard floor, unconscious.  
It was true- Katniss had never expected her daughter would be the target of torture, possibly murder.  
The hunger games were gone, her enemies eliminated.  
But, all the same, it made no difference.

* * *

Megan's head rested in her knee's.  
She was starting to get worried.  
Hope had been gone for an hour and a half.  
"I'll be right back." Megan called, and made her way out to search for Hope.  
She could be anywhere! Megan thought.  
All of a sudden, a wisp of a girl caught her eye.  
Megan spun round on the spot, and saw a girl flying, her arms extended.  
"I know where she is." The girl looked about 12, and her voice was soft as silk.  
"Where?" Megan whispered, staring into her brown eyes.  
Megan could see they had once been rich and chocolaty, but now they were faded and dry like old leather.  
Her clothes were beautiful, a lacy white dress, fitted along her small frame.  
The girls ashen skin seemed bright, and her hair hung by her chin in deep brown, velvet curls.  
"She's in the Capitol. There's a town... All the buildings are hidden by charms. If you can see me, maybe you can see them. I'm Rue."  
"I'm Megan... Can you explain?" Megan replied.  
She'd known Rue for 3 minutes maybe, but she trusted her completely.  
"Only a few people can see me... It's a special gift, I guess you could say. I could always see spíritus. I can't tell you anything more, it's too dangerous. I'll help you find Hope, and then it's up to you." Rue clarified.

* * *

_Drip, drop, drip, drop._  
"Not on the floor! I told you- connect the tube. You're so stupid." The deep voice thundered.  
"I-I'm so sorry. The tube's just too big."  
"Then make the hole bigger, it's obvious. Look I'll do it."  
More blood dripped onto the marble tiles, but soon, a long tube sucked it all up.  
The tube was connected to an enormous, slimy box.  
It was metal and had 3 tall, thin tubs.  
One was labelled, Everdeen NG, the next was labelled Mellark and the third was labelled Odair.  
Mellark was filled to the top, almost over filling, and Everdeen was rising by the second, dripping into the tub.  
"How do we get Odair? He's nearly in his forties- we already know he can fight our forces." A weak voice whispered, unsteadily.  
"We had this conversation with the Everdeen tub- next generation! They share DNA. I really need smarter, more quick witted assistants." Snarled the voice, and with that, NG was scrawled in marker next to Odair.  
Finn was their next target.

* * *

**AN: I'm sorry this is short!  
I've been busy recently, I just wanted to get it up.  
I really hope you enjoy.  
Thanks so much for the reviews, I appreciate it so much.  
By the way, if you like Harry Potter I've posted a RosexScorpius one shot called Stay.  
It's a bit depressing, but I'd really like some feedback.  
Thechamberofmahogany**


	8. Chapter 8

Megan's feet crunched along the gravel towards the train station.  
"Hello." The ticket man smiled kindly, as Megan said, "when is the next train to the Capitol?"  
"There's one leaving in 10 minutes, but it will travel to District 3 through to District 1 as well."  
Megan cocked her head to the side, thinking carefully.  
"Okay. Is there one that just goes straight to the Capitol?"  
"There is, but it leaves on Sunday."  
Instantly, Megan shook her head.  
"Okay, how much is one ticket for the train leaving in ten minutes?" She asked, praying there was enough in her pocket.  
"$10." Megan sighed in relief- she only had $15 on her.  
Megan handed over the money, and boarded the train.

* * *

"They've been gone for ages." Finn stated, turning over to lay on his back.  
"Probably having a girls meeting." Austin air quoted 'girls meeting' and snorted.  
"This is Megan and Hope we're talking about... Yeah. Since they've ditched us, lets go through the rest of the items." Finn grinned and shoved his hand in the box.

* * *

As she sat on the velvet seats, Megan began to swear under her breath.  
She hadn't got clothes, food or drink with her.  
Unless Megan found a source of free water, she would die within 3 days.  
The train travelled fairly quickly, and soon, she found herself in the Capitol.  
Trusting her instincts, Megan turned corners and walked down about a million streets.  
The cold wind whipped against her cheek, causing them to turn a bright red.  
Her lips were starting to go blue from the cold, and her hair was slapping her face.  
"Right, ok. Get a grip. If you were a ghost, where would you hide a street?" Megan muttered to herself.  
Options piled up in her mind, but they all seemed stupid.  
Maybe Rue had lied.  
Was Hope missing?  
Megan nodded and soldiered on, but when it became dark, she sighed and walked into a grassy field.  
In a pile of long grass stalks, Megan curled up and pulled her red, woollen coat over her shivering body.

* * *

"Hey. There's a diary!" Finn shouted, flicking open a glossy, red hardback book.  
"_September 11th 2469.  
Today is the reaping. I honestly can't begin to describe how petrified I am.  
I'm eligible this year- what if I'm chosen? What if Katniss is chosen? It's like I'm falling in ice cold water, and the Capitol is plunging their skinny, green fingers in and swirling it around.  
I'm wearing Katniss' first reaping outfit. It's a white blouse with a grey/brown skirt.  
I have to go now, because we need to go to the reaping. I'll write later, promise. Well. I will if I'm not reaped_." Austin peered over Finn's shoulder.  
"Reaping... This just adds to our problems! It mentions Aunt Katniss though. Turn over- maybe it'll give us the answers?" Austin smirked.  
He was deluding himself and he knew it.  
As if a diary was going to answer the questions, it would add to them or give him false information.  
He _had_ read Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.  
"_After the reaping:  
I wasn't reaped.  
Well... Maybe it would be easier to just write it out as it happened? Sorry if the ink smudges... It's just too heartbreaking to handle._

_Effie Trinket, our escort, walked onto the stage. A video was played, but I'd seen it before.  
Then she walked over to the glass bowl, and plunged her hand inside.  
Maybe if she'd moved it to the left a bit.  
My name was in her hand on that slip of paper.  
It was the worst luck in the world.  
No one wanted to fight in the hunger games, but an eighteen year old would fight better.  
I walked up to the stage, walked up to my death.  
What 12 year old could win the hunger games?  
And then... Katniss screamed my name.  
She pushed past the peace keepers and volunteered.  
She's going into the hunger games_." Finn looked up, staring at Austin.  
"Well that didn't really help." Austin grumbled.  
"It didn't. Maybe there are more entries? We could check them out later. I'm hungry." Finn yawned, and put the items back in the box.  
Then, he hid it under a floorboard and headed out of the attic.

* * *

It was even colder the next morning.  
Megan pulled her coat around her narrow frame, trying to keep in as much body heat as possible.  
"I see you haven't made much progress. You didn't come prepared either. Look after this- it will come in handy." Megan looked up and saw Rue floating with an olive coloured back pack in her hand.  
Megan room hold of it, smiling gratefully, as Rue disappeared with a small pop.  
Before heading off, Megan opened the bag.  
Inside she saw a small bottle of water and a tiny bag of water purifying tablets.  
There was also a pocket knife, a small bag of jam sandwiches, 20 apple slices and... A map!  
Megan danced gleefully, before opening it up and staring at the parchment.  
Quickly, she ate 2 apple slices, and put back on her backpack.  
_I'm on my way,_ she thought.  
_And this time, I mean business._

* * *

**AN: This started off as a finding out the games story but as it's gone along its turned into an adventure story.  
I have a clear plot line and I do plan to continue this.  
I'm also putting up a new Harry Potter story.  
I hope you enjoyed.  
Thanks for reading.  
~ Thechamberofmahogany**


	9. Chapter 9

Hope's blood was very rich.  
Too rich, according to the man who needed it.  
"Let us hope that Odair's blood is weak." His voice echoed around the room.  
"Y-yes master. Would you like us to take Odair as we did Mellark?" A weak voice sounded, quietly.  
The owner of the voice was pale, with a slight grey tinge to his skin.  
His head had wisps of blonde hair that was greying at the roots.  
He had heavy bags under his watery, pinprick, grey eyes.  
"Zander, Zander, Zander. Why are you scared?" The deep voice asked the man, who had been identified as Zander.  
"I-I am not scared." Zander's voice was quite high, and wobbled slightly.  
His thin body trembled, as he flew higher into the air.  
"Do not lie, Zander. I can sense fear. That is why my enemies always lose."  
A small surge of confidence seemed to rush through the man as he stared at his master.  
"Yes master, but Everdeen won didn't she?"  
"That is because I never realised she was my enemy in the first place. Her rebellious side was contained, until the stunt with the berries. Besides, it is not your place to point out my faults. I could point out many more of yours."  
"O-of course, Master. So sorry, Master."  
"So you should be."

* * *

Carefully, Megan unfurled the map, and stared at the directions.  
Soon, she was turning left, right, walking up and down and stopping for breaks occasionally.  
Eventually, she reached the circled street on the map.  
The air slightly rippled and glittered.  
Cocking her head to the side, Megan pushed her hand through.  
A slight sizzle sounded, but apart from that, she was ok.  
Tentatively but quickly, she stepped though.  
Ok. It's time. Megan thought.  
The street was silent, and the air around it rippled slightly.  
She passed giant buildings, in dull greys, blacks and dirty whites.  
"Who are you?" A man asked, stepping in front of her suddenly.  
Megan jumped slightly, replying suspiciously, "I'm Megan... Who are you?"  
"Seneca. Seneca Crane." Seneca smiled, before adding, "I have a place to sleep and eat while you carry on your search for your friend."  
Megan nodded slowly, reluctantly following Seneca.

* * *

Megan slept soundly, and cackling softly, Seneca opened the creaky door to the room where she slept.  
Clutching a thin syringe, he narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.  
Where was he likely to get the most blood?  
Seneca inserted it in Megan's calf, eyes widening in delight as the syringe filled with the light red liquid.  
He walked away, syringe balanced carefully between his long, skinny fingers.  
Quietly, Seneca slipped into the lab where Hope lay, veins big and noticeable in her pale wrists.  
He took the tube, that was flowing with blood, from her arm, and picked up the plastic bag the tube was attached to.  
A large, cauldron stood in the corner of the room, dusty and slightly rusty.  
"Zander." He called, and the spiritus appeared, faster than light itself.  
"Yes, Master?"  
"I am ready- I don't need Odair. We have Mason's daughter." Seneca smiled, an insane, evil smile that could make any human coil in fear.  
All his teeth had disappeared, and his gums were slightly black, and peeling.  
He had no hair on his body, his clothes were shabby, yet he still managed to look rich.  
Zander nodded quickly.  
"I-I'll clean the cauldron." He sat down next to the cauldron and began scrubbing with a faded, yellow sponge lying next to it.  
Seneca sat down in a discarded chair next to the room, and thought about his... Journey.  
When he'd died, he had started planning revenge on Everdeen.  
She had showed him up, had she not? Caused his death.  
He plotted carefully, not noticing the rebellion.  
But, when the Districts won, he felt oddly... Pleased.  
Everdeen married Mellark, and, 17 years after the 74th Hunger Games, she became pregnant with Hope.  
That was the spark of inspiration for him.  
Seneca quickly began to research how to change into a human form.  
It was a complicated process, involving human blood from at least 3 close humans.  
He knew Everdeen was close to Odair- too close.  
But he was ready.  
The transformation could begin.  
And then he'd be ready to fight.

* * *

When Megan awoke, her arm throbbed viciously.  
She ignored it, and crept out into a thin hallway.  
Realising she wasn't armed, Megan pulled a thin knife from her boots, and pressed her back to the wall, edging slowly towards a room at the end of the hall.  
A dim light was glowing, lighting up the damp hall she was in.  
She could make out voices, bouncing of the walls inside.  
"We have Mason's blood, Everdeen's blood and Mellark's blood. I am ready to complete the transformation."  
"Yes, but master, what will this do?"  
"It will give me the power to become a human again. There, I can attack. Mason and Everdeen's daughters should be easy, as I have them right inside this building."  
Megan's blood turned to ice.  
She peered in the room, spotting that the voices had their back to the door.  
And, behind lots of slightly rusty machinery, was Hope, laying on a table.  
Megan shuddered at the sight of her best friend, pale and grey in the light.  
She padded into the room, careful not to make a sound, as the two men carried on talking.  
Megan took Hope's legs and picked them up, wrapping her arms around her neck.  
Then, she crept out the room, and towards the room where she slept.  
Grabbing the bag that Rue gave her, she tubbed at the stiff window in her room, eventually opening in.  
Holding Hope again, she jumped out and ran away from the building.  
Tears streamed down her face.  
I want to go home, I want to go home, I want to go home.  
But she wouldn't go home.  
Megan had to grip onto Hope, pray she wouldn't die, and walk onwards.  
Because how was she meant to get home if she didn't?


	10. Chapter 10

As she walked away, Megan began to sing softly.  
Not for her- for Hope.  
Hope loved singing.  
Every aspect of it, hearing it, doing it, she could never get enough of it.

_And the blood will dry  
Underneath my nails  
And the wind will rise up  
To fill my sails  
So you can doubt  
And you can hate  
But I know  
No matter what it takes  
I'm coming home  
I'm coming home  
Tell the world that I'm coming home  
Let the rain  
Wash away  
All the pain of yesterday  
I know my kingdom awaits  
And they've forgiven my mistakes  
I'm coming home  
I'm coming home  
Tell the world I'm coming home_

They were in a forest.  
Megan knew that she couldn't board the train with Hope in this state, because it would raise suspicion.  
She didn't even think she had enough money.  
Megan softly laid Hope down, looking at her injuries.  
She had a few bruises on her legs, a few cuts on her head, but the worse was a deep gash in her arm.  
_What have they done to you_? Megan thought sadly.  
She took of her coat, and cut off part of the sleeve.  
Then, she cut off a square from the other sleeve.  
She wet the square with the water from her backpack, and used it to wipe the gash in Hope's arm.  
Megan wiped away the dry blood, and then, wrapped the other part of her sleeve around the wound.  
She tied it, and looked at her handiwork.  
_Not bad..._ She smiled slightly, before continuing to wait for Hope to wake up.  
She ate 2 slices of apples, drank some water and stored the rest in her bag.  
The sun was just beginning to fall, and Hope's eyelids began to flicker.  
"Megan?" She murmured, staring at Megan's figure, slumped against a tree.  
"Yeah?" Megan replied, yawning.  
"What's going on?" Hope asked quietly.  
"I'll explain later- it's a really long story. You need to eat though."  
"Okay."  
Hope ate some apple slices, and drank the rest of the water.  
She stood up, slowly, her legs wobbling slightly.  
"So, we have time now- what's the story?"

* * *

Finn woke up with a start, as a thump sounded below him.  
He shook Austin awake, who grinned mischievously, hearing Danny and Hunter below them.  
"Shhh! You'll wake them!" Hunter hissed.  
"Could you be any louder?! You're the one making noise!" Danny retorted, whispering.  
Austin and Finn crept towards the trap door, hiding, waiting for it to open.  
They slipped behind some boxes, just as Danny and Hunter came in.  
Finn held up one finger, then two, and finally he held up the third.  
"BOO!" They screamed.  
Danny's hands flew up in shock, and the bowl he'd been holding flew up, and the contents spilt on him and Austin.  
The room filled with a pungent smell, mostly coming off of Danny and Hunter.  
"Eurgh! What was that liquid?!" Finn's voice was muffled, as he covered his nose with his t-shirt's sleeve.  
"Liquid Ass. We ordered it online. It makes the room smell horrific, and the person who it's aimed at. Our plan backfired though." Hunter sighed.  
"Right then, Danny. It's back to the beginning."  
They climbed down and out the trapdoor, as Finn began to spray his body spray around the room.

* * *

After Megan had explained the situation to Hope, they began to walk alongside the main road.  
"We were in the Capitol, but luckily, it should only take us about 12 hours to get to district 4."  
"12 hours?! Are you kidding me?" Hope cried out in annoyance.  
"Nope. If we walk fast though, we could maybe cut an hour through each district. Then it'd be 9 hours till we got back." Megan replied.  
"What's the time?"  
"8. So, hopefully we should get to district 4 at around 8 in the morning, maybe 5 if we're lucky."  
Hope sighed.  
"This should be fun."  
"Definitely, we have some girl bonding time!" Megan exclaimed sarcastically.  
"My favourite!" Hope agreed.  
"I might have my cell phone actually," Megan grinned, "then we could get Finn to pick us up."  
She fumbled around in her pocket, before groaning.  
"It's not there. Do you have yours?" Megan was clinging to a small thread of hope, literally, as Hope checked in every possible place her phone could be.  
"N- hang on."  
Megan's heart sped up.  
"HUZZAH!" Hope cried out happily.  
"Huzzah?" Megan raised an eyebrow at her.  
"I was trying to test out some new words."  
"Okay then. Just call Finn."  
"Okay."

* * *

_"September 30th,  
I haven't written for a while.  
I completely forgot I even had a diary, until I came across it just now.  
Rue just died, and Katniss made her first kill.  
His name was Marvel, and he was from district 1.  
It felt like what innocence I had left has been stripped away.  
Although, she has to kill at some point.  
To be fair, it was very noble, she did it in Rue's honour.  
And she had no choice.  
After all, it's kill or be killed.  
I felt a strange connection with Rue.  
I knew she had to die at some point, but I felt a stab in my heart when she died.  
Gale's been round a bit.  
Not just to give us meat but to watch the games.  
I feel as though, if I ever was pure, which is unlikely, I'm now as contaminated as the water that fills the lake.  
I've seen far too much, children my age murdered, children older than me, killing and being killed in ruthless ways.  
Still, now Marvel and Rue are dead, there are 6 people left in the games.  
Katniss has to kill 5 more people.  
It's a terrible, ruthless, even evil thought, but I can't help it.  
I just want my sister to come home."_  
"Well..." Austin frowned, "that was certainly... Something. It mentioned my dad, and at the end it said that she wants 'her sister back'. I'm gonna go on a limb here and say that maybe Hunter will know something about Katniss's sister."  
"There's only one way to find out..." Finn shrugged, before climbing down the trapdoor ladder.

* * *

**AN: Idk what to say.  
I'm sorry this chapter wasn't the best -.-  
Review if you liked, thanks if you did for the last chapter 3  
Thanks for reading and sticking with me, ily.  
Btw, this isn't over yet aha.  
Thechamberofmahogany**


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